I watched from my chair as the Starburst module was launched and sped on its way towards the target. The Battle Planners sent in ten mini-fighters that would ride inside the cone of the Starburst, protected from any defenses that could be put forth.
As the timer ticked down I began to get nervous over the excitement that came with a new potential weapon. When the module reached 100,000 kilometers the overcompensated BHDs dispersed and spread out into the cone shaped pattern as designed. It was like a black void moving through space. The mini-fighters soon swept in behind and took refuge in the cone.
The target defenders took action, firing and launching everything they had at the incoming formation of BHDs. Nothing was effective. The black holes of the BHDs and the cone shape they formed kept our fighters completely protected. But just as the cone was about to reach its target the defenders sent the target moving backwards at its fastest pace.
It was a move the team had not counted on and the Lawrencium that powered the BHDs was soon exhausted. The defenders then pummeled the ten approaching fighters with simulated weapons to prove their point. Even though the Starburst was an ingenious idea on paper, it was doomed to fail if every eventuality was not planned for and taken into account.
The Starburst team quickly cried foul and I got on the comm to settle their objections. The defenders had done exactly what they were supposed to do in defending the simulated alien ship. It was my Battle Planners who had failed by not putting their maximum effort into the exercise. There would be another test of the system in two days and I insisted that each team do their best to achieve their goals.
In the meantime, our recon destroyer that had been sent to the far system, where the last globe ships had come, from was starting to report in. There was no habitable planet in the system, but there was a massive spaceport with what looked like construction yards attached to it. They were working on more of the globe ships.
When the destroyer reported that there were two gas giant planets in the system my staff ordered the destroyer to move behind one of the planets and to then launch and slingshot a Driller around it towards the spaceport. If we were lucky and their defenses were low we might be able to do some damage without being detected. Once launched the destroyer would slowly move back to a safe distance. Two hours later the Driller was away.
We watched patiently as the Driller took 4 hours to drift towards its target. The excitement built with each tick of the clock as there was no outward appearance that it had been detected. When the Driller contacted an outer wall of the spaceport its BHD activated and it quickly disappeared inside. The first explosion did not occur for almost an hour.
The destroyer had a live feed from the Driller and we watched as it twisted and turned and did its dirty work. The spaceport was nearly 5,000 kilometers diameter so the Driller would be busy for many days if they were unable to disable or destroy it. We were soon greeted with a second, larger explosion that told us the device was indeed doing significant damage. Hundreds of smaller ships were buzzing around the outside of the spaceport as if someone had disturbed an angry beehive.
As the Driller moved through bulkhead after bulkhead we became aware of the fact that there were no alien beings aboard the structure. It was completely automated. I wondered how powerful and wealthy a civilization had to be to have built such a huge and powerful machine. If they had more than one we could possibly be facing a fleet of the globe ships. It was not an eventuality that any of us wished for.
When the counter reached seven days until the arrival of the Borten fleet I ordered our own armada to move to a position near Toleda. We would wait, hidden, in the Rho Puppis system until such time as the attackers had fallen into our trap.
Our factories had been busy cranking out ground launched Drillers and mobile space platforms. The unpopulated planet of Toleda was a bastion of defenses. When the Borten arrived they would be greeted by the mobile space platforms launching millions of rounds of Protactinium pellets at near light speed. As they closed on the platforms more than two million ground-based Drillers would come rocketing up to greet them.
It was hoped that in the chaos that ensued we would find an opportunity to strike. From that point on it would be survival of the fittest as we would be fully committed. We had 20 full fleets to take into battle. It was reasoned that Earth would not be in need of a supporting fleet should we lose at Toleda. In that event, all would be lost.
When we arrived we took up position on the opposite side of Rho Puppis from Toleda's orbit. Hershen stood beside my chair admiring his former sun's glow. It was hard to imagine the feelings the Kurtz had over losing their home planet. They were given a second chance on Toledus and Mabia, but it would never be the same for his generation.
I had done all I could to protect Earth and yet I still felt as though much of what I had known when younger was gone, changed forever. Earth was our world and with that came a feeling of pride that there was no substitute for. It was the same pride that made you root for the hometown team. I had no doubt it would be generations before the Kurtz once again had those feelings.
With the remaining days before arrival I had the fleets running simulated war-games almost continuously. The fourth fleet seemed to come out on top in almost every scenario. It had earned them a place at having the first ships that would enter battle. It was deemed an honor, but I had thoughts of it possibly being a death sentence. We had no idea of what weapons the Borten or the globe ships possessed.
When the assault timer had ticked down to hours, Hershen reached out and put his long slender hand on my shoulder. I had been pacing all morning trying to calm the nerves that came with an all-out battle. I was told that it had been an honor serving me for so many years, and that it would be an honor again tomorrow and an honor the day after. It was a confidence boost I needed and I thanked my friend for his kind words.
Shortly thereafter the first of the Borten ships dropped below light speed as they slowed for their assault. The first batch were smaller scout ships, no doubt sending information back to the main fleet before the bulk of it would arrive. The scouts fanned out and soon infested most of the Rho Puppis system.
We remained silent, watching as they moved about the system checking every possible place that a surprise fleet might hide. The scout that circled the sun passed through our fleet, warping through several of our ships as it passed. Our active skin had once again been an excellent defense and a thing of wonder.
When the first scout got within 500,000 kilometers of Toleda two of the mobile platforms began to fire upon it. Even at that distance the new speed of the pellets was too much for the scout and it was soon annihilated. When a second scout ventured close it met with the same fate.
With no other threats reported back to the main fleet it soon dropped from light speed. Our long wave sensors began to go crazy with the sheer number of ships that were detected. Within minutes tens of thousands of Borten ships had entered the Rho Puppis system and it was soon evident by their formations that they were preparing for an assault.
But the early ships did not fall into an immediate attack. They instead waited for the remainder of the fleet to slow and to take up position. The numbers were staggering and my nervousness over what we were about to be engaged in once again returned.
We watched in awe as the massive globe ships soon took up positions surrounding the Borten fleet. Minutes later the globe ships began to have an orange glow to them. As the minutes passed the glow began to spread outward like a giant sheet. The glow then reached a maximum intensity when the sheets overlapped from one ship to another.
It was speculated that the orange glow was some sort of a shield that would protect the fleet as they began their attack. When the shield was complete the entire body of ships began to move forward. When they reached the 500,000 kilometer range the first of the mobile guns began to fire.
As the initial Protactinium pellets arrived, the alien shield turned white hot in an instant at the point of contact, the r
ound vaporized before traveling another kilometer. As the fleet moved forward, more of the mobile guns came online firing round after round. An impressive light show signaled the official start of the battle.
When the Borten ships reached 200,000 kilometers they began to fire projectiles of their own. Our new mobile platforms were equipped with gravity guns also and the first of the alien rounds were easily deflected or halted dead in space.
But as the fleet moved closer more of the Borten ships began to fire and it soon became apparent that our mobile platforms were about to be overwhelmed. Battle command gave the order to launch all Drillers and Toleda's dark side was soon lit up by a million tiny lights. For a moment, the Borten fleet halted its progress.
When the first of the Drillers passed through the alien shield there was a sudden massive launch of small fighters that were not unlike our own mini-fighters in size. Our view of the fleet soon became muddled from the glow of the Protactinium striking the shield and the swarm of millions of small black craft that were flying about to do battle with the Drillers.
We watched in awe for hours as the Drillers first evaded the fighters and then attacked their targets. As the Drillers began to find their targets we were witness to multiple explosions. But the Borten ships were so numerous that the rate of destruction of their fleet would be extremely slow. The Borten then launched an offensive of their own.
More than 30,000 of their destroyers lined up in a column and then rapidly advanced towards the planet. The mobile platforms in the area were soon overwhelmed and the destroyers began to scream down through the atmosphere to attack the planet’s surface. They were met with a fierce barrage of surface coil gun rounds, but those rounds proved to be largely ineffective.
Our next counter was the launch of mini-Drillers from the surface. Surrounding each fake city were several platforms of the mini-Driller launchers. As the 30,000 plus Borten ships spread across the planet’s surface the mini-Drillers were in hot pursuit.
As we watched the battle continue to unfold the Borten then sent in more than 10,000 cruisers. Their all-out offensive was well underway. The Borten craft on the surface used a combination of gravity weapons and high energy beams. Explosions were soon commonplace and fires raged across the globe.
When the Borten battleships committed to the fight the signal came in that it was time for the Human fleet to makes its move. We would first move in the opposite direction around Rho Puppis and then drift in unison towards the remaining Borten fleet. At 500,000 kilometers our current compliment of 14 Starbursts would be launched at four of the globe ships on our side of their defenses. It was time for do or die.
Chapter 10
Riding in the cone of each Starburst were 800 BGS Marines, accompanied by a dozen Drillers. Their goal was to knock out at least a portion of the alien shield thereby allowing our fleet access to the remaining Borten ships. I had confidence in the plans ability to work.
At 100,000 kilometers the Starburst modules began to disperse their overcompensated BHDs. Approximately 3.7 seconds later the first of the Lawrencium powered cones made its way through the globe shield and into a globe ship. The other 13 Starburst modules soon followed suit.
Once on-board, the Drillers began their dirty-work and the Marines began their assaults. I watched with excitement on a monitor as a Marine Squad Commander barked orders and pushed his men forward. The Borten were awkward fighters and were soon being slaughtered by the hundreds as the Marines advanced.
As I watched a message was delivered to me. Both of Zack’s sons were on globe ship number three and were moving forward with their team. I hesitated and then switched my view to that of their squad leader. They were pushing hard and obliterating everything the Borten defenders threw at them. It was a proud moment as I watched the highly trained Marines efficiently dispatch any attempts at an attack that the Borten made.
The globe ships were massive and the assaults by BGS Marines moved slowly through their seemingly endless corridors. As team FT77 moved down a long corridor I watched with satisfaction as the Borten troops first fired and were then blown apart from our gravity pulse guns. Destruction and death moved down the corridor in front of our team.
The Borten had soon found a technique that worked well to take down our Drillers. The damage had been done however and one of the globe ships soon lost power to its shield. But a shield overlap remained, it was strong enough to compensate and cover for the loss. When a second globe ship powered down a small opening was left for our fleet to punch through.
I gave the order and all ships diverged on the shield opening at once. As we began to move the field generator for one of the ships again powered up and our first ships in line had to take evasive action. The generator was soon again shut down as a BGS Marine team stormed the control room that had brought it back online.
Our ships streamed through the opening in the shield and were soon greeted by a million Borten mini-fighters. The order was given and our fleet launched a combined total of more than six million mini-fighters at once. It was quickly evident that the Borten fighters were no match for our own.
I could sense the excitement growing in the command center in front of me as our planners worked over their screens and sent out orders. It was a coordinated effort that Man had never before seen. Large groups of our ships moved in unison to achieve one goal after another. With the battle going well I focused my energies back on the Marine squad aboard the globe ship.
Zack's sons were continuing on their rampage, blasting controls and pummeling the Borten soldiers with their gravity pulse guns. It was only then that I realized that their squad commander was their own father. Zack had re-enlisted shortly after our last visit. With his military record and experience he had been given the command that he wanted. That command was over his son's unit.
As I watched I gained respect and admiration for both his command and execution skills. He barked orders and his troops followed them precisely. After several continuous hours of fighting they had yet to lose a man.
When they reached the end of a long corridor they were stopped by two gargantuan doors. The Marines typically fought with their BGS suits tuned to a low level so they could make the most out of whatever gravity the current environment offered. Their suits were tuned to always provide a set amount of interaction with the gravity so that they were always fighting under the exact conditions they had trained for.
With the giant blast doors stopping their progress, Zack ordered their BGS suits to full. They would drift through to the other side and once again begin their assault. In an instant the squad stepped towards the doors and blinked out. When they arrived on the other side they held their fire.
Behind the blast doors was a massive room with biped beings that stood in long white robes facing away from the Marines. There was no sign of any Borten soldiers. The beings then slowly turned around towards Zack and his squad while raising their arms with open hands. The beings had human faces.
After a short time of facing the white robed beings Zack ordered his men to drop their BGS suit levels back to the normal combat level. It would make his squad visible to the robed beings where communications with them could be attempted. When the team blinked in the white robed beings began to slowly smile.
Then, in an instant, Zack and the Marine squad were all blasted backwards against the giant doors. The video feed from their suits continued to run as Borten soldiers quickly closed on their position. They were still alive, but they were captives of the Borten.
Just before their BGS suits were powered off and their weapons removed the white robed beings faded from view. They were nothing more than a holographic display that had been set up to lure the team to drop their defenses. Standing behind the hologram were several hundred Borten soldiers with a powerful gravity beam weapon.
We had been tricked by our enemy and it had cost us a valued team of Marines. Word went out over the comms of the stunt and of the devious nature of the Borten. The teams had been warned t
o not always trust their eyes.
With Zack and his squad captive I ordered my command ship to pull alongside the globe ship they were captive on. I ordered our entire contingent of Marines, more than 250,000, to board the globe ship and to retrieve our warriors... alive.
Within minutes teams of BGS Marines were blinking in on the globe ship and starting advances towards the area of the massive ship where Zack's team had been taken captive. The Marines fought with a fierceness that I had not yet seen. They were intent on bringing home their own.
The Borten ships that had attacked the surface had taken heavy losses from the mini-Drillers. They had discovered that the planet was uninhabited and that the humans had a devious nature of their own. When the discovery was made the order had been given to return to the main fleet.
Our fleet had engaged in direct fire with the Borten ships and we soon found our shielding and firepower to be superior. The battles were drawn out, but they were going decidedly in our favor. Our mini-fighters had all but eliminated the Borten fighters and had turned their destructive powers towards the smaller of the Borten vessels.
Word soon came in that Zack's team had been rescued and were on their way to our medical bays for treatment. As soon as they were safely on-board I ordered my command ship to move back out to a safe distance from the combat. We were winning the war and a sense of relief began to well up inside me. I thought that perhaps we were finally nearing the end.
As the battle raged on I left from the bridge heading to the medical bays. I had to know of Zack's condition, I wanted to be there if he regained consciousness. Just as I left the bridge the ship was rocked by several powerful explosions. Somehow Borten soldiers had made their way aboard.
SODIUM:5 Assault Page 10
